The Bartel Road Bait & Tackle Memorial Day Weekend Pickerel Derby Saturday on Oneida Lake drew 150 anglers. It also made some believers out of some anglers who often look down their noses at this fish, according to the derby director .

Lewis Ives walked away with the $300 winner's check.

"I believe we've opened some eyes to this resource that is the chain pickerel," said Rob Goffredo, owner of the bait shop. He said more than $1,500 in prize money was handed out.

"It was a $10 entry, $2 went toward lunker and $8 towards overall weight," he said. "It was a 100 percent payback. We paid down 20 spots. The winner took home $300 and lunker paid $302 -- not bad for a day of pickerel fishing."

The biggest fish in the contest was caught by Dennis Edwards. It weighed 4 pounds, 3 ounces.

"As you know most folks just look at them as a pain in the butt. Not true," Goffredo said. "Just shy of 600 pickerel where weighed in, filleted -- and either eaten or taken home all cleaned and ready for the freezer."

Goffredo said he's considering another pickerel derby Labor Day weekend this year, and plans to do another one next Memorial Day as well.